Jashore had the previous highest temperature of the season at 42.6C
Remains of Father Marino Rigon return to Bangladesh Sunday
The body of honorary Bangladeshi citizen and freedom fighter Father Marino Rigon will arrive in Bangladesh in accordance with his final wishes.
Published : 20 Oct 2018, 11:54 AM
Updated : 20 Oct 2018, 11:54 AM
The Bangladesh government will bury the priest, who devoted his life to the care and welfare of people in Bagerhat’s Mongla, next to the Shelabunia Church where he preached.
Rigon, who received the Friends of the Liberation War award, had been ill for some time, breathed his last at a hospital in Italy’s Vicenzo on Oct 20, 2017.
His body will finally arrive in Bangladesh on Sunday, a year after his death, the Bangladesh foreign ministry said in a statement.
“The Bangladesh government has completed the necessary formalities to allow his body to be laid to rest next to the Shelabunia Church in Bagerhat’s Mongla in accordance with his final wishes.”
Born on Jan 5, 1925 at Villaverla in Italy, Father Rigon came to Bangladesh in 1953 and stayed at Haldibunia village of Mongla.
He played a key role in poverty alleviation, the expansion of education, providing medical services and working for the development of poor women.
He took part in the Liberation War of Bangladesh by sheltering and taking care of injured freedom fighters during the 1971 war.
The government granted him honorary citizenship in 2009.
He also translated a number of Bangla literary works, including Rabindranath Tagore's Geetanjali, mystic poet Lalon Shah’ songs, and Jasim Uddin's Nakshikanthar Math, to Italian.
Many of the books were later re-translated to French, Spanish and Portuguese.
Father Rigon established a Rabindra study centre in Italy in 1990.
He also highlighted Bangladesh's traditional Nakshikantha, a type of embroidered quilt, in Italy. Nakshikanthas produced in his Shelabunia Sewing Centre have been exhibited in Italian cities.
Education was his major area of work in Bangladesh. During his time, he oversaw 17 educational institutions in the country.
A Bangladeshi theatre troupe staged musical drama Nakshikanthar Math in Italy with his help in 1986.
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